Q & A: All-America Running Back Taiwan Jones

Healthy All-America junior running back hopes to make a few of
his tackle-breaking and tackle-avoiding runs against North Dakota
State in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals Saturday (Dec. 11)

By Krystal Deyo, EWU Sports
Information

He’s healthy – no sports hernia this year –
and ready to run.

After suffering injuries during the 2009 season and earlier this
year, junior running back Taiwan Jones is healthy
and ready to compete to his full potential against North Dakota
State this weekend, especially with a prestigious All-American
accolade now under his belt.

The Eagles host the Bison Saturday (Dec. 11) at Roos Field in
Cheney, Wash., at 12:35 p.m. Pacific time. Last week, the Eagles
knocked-off Southeast Missouri State 37-17 in a second round game.
A year ago, Jones played with what was later diagnosed as a sports
hernia in EWU’s first-round loss at Stephen F. Austin.

A candidate for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player
in the FCS, Jones has 1,512 yards this season to rank as the
fourth-best single-season performance in school history. He has an
average of 137.5 rushing yards per game that ranks fourth in the
NCAA Championship Subdivision. After leading the nation in
all-purpose yards per game for several weeks early in the year,
Jones is currently second with an average of 196.6 yards (rushing,
receiving, returns) per game. He is also 10th in scoring (8.73 per
game with 16 total touchdowns).

"He's just one of those players that can break it at any time,
and that makes it tough on a defense," said Eastern head coach
Beau Baldwin. "He's a playmaker and you better
know where he is on every single snap. And even then, he's hard to
stop."

Earlier this week, Jones and teammate J.C. Sherritt were named
to the prestigious American Football Coaches Association
All-America team.

Q: Congratulations on being named
to the All-America team. How does it feel?

A: “This is a team accomplishment. If I
didn’t have a team behind me, I wouldn’t be able to
play well. The defense gives us the ball so much and my offensive
line gets that big push, and I’m lucky to have receivers who
block up-field.”

Q: What are some personal goals
for this weekend?

A: “Positive yards. I kind of stopped
making personal goals. My goal is for the team to make it to the
national championship game. But of course I like to have good games
where I get over 100 yards.”

Q: Though teams are supposed to
focus on the game directly ahead of them, do you ever catch
yourself looking ahead to a possible national championship
showing?

A: “Definitely. I think I can speak for
my team when I say we have been thinking of a national championship
since the beginning of the season. But we have to take it one week
at a time because every team we’ve played has been
good.”

Q: You obviously stun the crowd
with some of the tackles that you are able to break. Do you ever
surprise yourself?

A: “Not really. It’s kind of weird
because I’ll hear the crowd and I think ‘I must be
doing something good.’ Other than that, I’m usually
just out there running. I always come in the day after the game to
watch film and sometimes I’m surprised then.”

Q: How did you find Eastern all
the way from Antioch, Calif.?

A: “My running back coach Chris Hansen
called me. When I first heard of Eastern, I didn’t really
know where it was. But when I came on my visit, I fell in love with
the team and the location grew on me.”

Q: Last season you were diagnosed
with a sports hernia. What was it like to play with that kind of
pain?

A: “That pain was inexplicable. You
always want to give all you have, but it's one of those things that
keeps you from running fast. It kept me from being me.”

Q: How is your health compared to
last season?

A: “It’s almost a 100 percent
turnaround from last year. I had the sports hernia, the hand injury
and all of the other nicks and bruises. But I’m feeling
pretty good this year.”

Q: What was your most memorable
moment this season?

A: “It was definitely the Montana game. I
have never been a part of a big game like that. To see so many fans
and see them rush the field after the game was
incredible.”